Do you remember the Cardiff floods of 1979?

This month marks 40 years since the River Taff in Cardiff burst its banks, leaving parts of the city underwater.

It began with a spell of wet weather which saw river levels rise until on December 27th, 1979, parts of the city - including Canton, Pontcanna, Grangetown and Riverside - became submerged by floodwaters.

People had to be taken around by dinghy - like this woman in Canton Credit: ITV Archive National Library of Wales

Thousands of homes were flooded and many residents had to be evacuated, just days after Christmas.

Sophia Gardens in Pontcanna was submerged by floodwaters Credit: ITV Archive National Library of Wales

A circus in Sophia Gardens had to evacuate its animals to a safer location across the city.

A circus in Sophia Gardens had to evacuate its animals, causing dramatic scenes in the city centre Credit: ITV Archive National Library of Wales

The flooding brought widespread disruption and prompted a series of preventative works, including the construction of the Cardiff Bay barrage.

  • Watch archive footage of the 1979 floods here: